New Michigan DC Mike Macdonald diving in headfirst on recruiting trail Updated Mar 05, 2021; Facebook Share Since being hired as Michigan’s defensive coordinator in January, Mike Macdonald has been immersed in building and installing his scheme. While the 33-year-old there is heading a defense for the first time in his career, there is another aspect of the job that will be an adjustment from his former position: recruiting. Macdonald spent the previous seven years as an assistant with the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL, where player evaluations are more streamlined. Now, recruiting, the lifeblood of college football, becomes an essential component of his job description. It’s a task he faces amid a pandemic that has led to the NCAA banning college coaches from interacting and evaluating high school prospects in person through at least May 31.